katana600

Bella is not much on sharing.

When our girls were little they had music by Joe Scruggs that we all enjoyed. One of the songs was about peanut butter. "My oh my, I sure love peanut butter. It tastes so good to me, it's awfully hard to beat, peanut butter..." We sing this song when we give the dogs a little peanut butter treat in the kong. Bella is an Italian greyhound and she is the biggest peanut butter hound. When the jar is scraped to the bottom, we hand it over to her. I thought you might like to see a picture of her with her mother lode. LOL. Our vet said it is fine to give the dogs a teaspoon every day but not to go overboard with the parrots because they live long enough to have hardening of the arteries. It is hard to resist but we save it for special treats. I have been giving both our parrots a little piece of toast with peanut butter on weekends and they are ever so excited. We have to be very careful when the dogs have the kong and give the parrots an almond and keep the cages closed or we would have mayhem here.

Your smile is contagious. I am just grinning and laughing at Gilbert and his antics. I am still convinced we are just at the beginning of some positive happy changes with him. I actually had to remove his bath water as it got closer to night time because he just couldn't get enough of it. I wanted to be sure he was dry before bed time. He was energized by the splashing and wanton delight at his bath. I have tried all sorts of things over and over again but this time he just embraced the water bowl. I just never know when he is going to accept something whether it has been tried once or a hundred times. He was more active last night and just full of himself. He climbed over every inch of his cage inside and out with such vigor and vitality that we were all laughing and cheering him on. When it got to be bed time he was still not finished. He was hooting and calling out and talking more than usual too. This morning he is still in such a good mood, it is like he is having a new lease on life! I put his water dish back in the cage and he went right in to check it out but went on to other things. In the past he might gingerly touch a wooden or leather toy in his cage but now he is grabbing on with both feet, flapping his wings and beating the tar out of them. He is laughing and talking more and he is full of spit and vinegar. He is like the energizer bunny, he just keeps going and going. Our whole family is rejoicing at the gusto with which he is coming out of his shell. He is whistling a happy little tune and has a new swagger of confidence that makes me think we have come around a corner. Last night before bed he was asking everyone for a scratch. He especially seems smitten with Rachel and it has been as good for her as it is for him. Even after we turned out the lights and went to bed much later than usual because we were enjoying him so much, he was hooting and talking and seemed to be trying to coax us back out of bed. He has seldom talked after lights out. I am just fascinated by Gilbert and happy with his boisterous new behavior.

I would like to be just a tinge jealous at how well your guys have settled in. But no, I am just thrilled for all of you. This is one of those happy stories of love at first sight. I wonder if the familiarity of being brought in with a buddy is helping. I have read about other well adapted parrots making this kind of successful transition and I think you just have two of the most wonderful accepting boys and you are doing everything just right to acclimate them to your home. Congratulations, I am joyful at your delight in them. It is awesome that they are saying both your names already. Kudos to the whole flock and family.

First, I feel for you because we have had Gilbert just over fifteen months and what you describe with Cooper is similar. To the best of the limited information we have on Gilbert, his first home was with a man named Jim. He still calls for Jim almost daily. His caretaker for about two and a half years before he came to us was a female and she reported that he had issues and never liked anyone in her home male or female. There are many days when I wonder if he just can't accept me as a friendly face but what I have come to is that he can't accept losing Jim. No one else is going to fill that void. However, what I can also tell you is that with time and consistent, predictable interactions, Gilbert is just starting to warm up and come around to the fact that this place isn't quite as bad as he might originally have decided. When he started biting, I backed off and don't approach him unless he asks me to. The way he does this is to grab the bars with one foot, tucks his head and holds tight to his chest feathers. There are times when he will just relax, close his eyes and surrender to the moment. He will lift his head and make a sound like a crying baby when he is enjoying the interaction. Then he will tuck again for more contact. Sometimes, he will get into the posture of asking for a scratch but when I get close, he spins and tries to bite me. I don't take it personally. I think he really wants the contact, but he is so wired and on guard he can't relax. If I wait ten minutes and ask for a scratch when I am walking past him, he will let me know if we can try it again. I really do understand how it seems that he just hates his life with us sometimes. I look at that as he hates where his life has gone since he lost his beloved Jim. I can't blame him there. I wish I could see into his previous life and know what good things Jim did with him so I could give him comfort. What I have seen is a very very slow acceptance of our life together. I believe it will get better. I have seen him get just a little better month by month. At first when he was scared or frustrated he would chew off his chest feathers. Now at least he seems to be able to calm himself and he is starting just within the past month to play with toys. Changing Cooper's life might not be of any help whether a nice little old lady exactly like the first home came along or if you keep trying and offer him a stable home while he finds a way to get past his loss. What I have learned is to accept Gilbert the way he is and not have any expectations, just continue to be caring and loving to him and every now and again, I see him respond positively and that is my incentive to keep a consistent love for him and let him find his own way of coping. As long as he isn't being destructive to himself, I feel like we are making progress counted in years, not in weeks.

Welcome to the forum. You are making a good decision to let your little one wean and fledge in his own time. There is a lot more to it than the mechanics of warming the food and giving it to them. It is really good for them to spend that time with clutchmates and someone who is preparing them to be a parrot during this impressionable time. Our small red bellied parrot is about six years old and we were her first home. Her name is Java. Our Timneh African grey is Gilbert. He was rehomed a few times before us and has been a real challenge, but after a little more than a year we are seeing progress. They are not friends but they have learned to tolerate each other with vigilant supervision. I never knew just how much companionship and joy a parrot would bring to our lives. It is a lot of work but well worth it.

What a great introduction to Dexter. It takes a special home to appreciate the joys of grey companionship. Your life will change for the better with your commitment to him and your joy will become greater than your expectations. He is a lucky boy to have come home to your care. Thanks for joining us.

Now there is a girl after my own heart. I am pretty sure if I was a parrot, I would be a Salsa! From the first I heard about the neck pinch from Dayo, it never fails to make me laugh. Of course, that is not MY neck being pinched. She does seem to have gone 'round the bend to an excess though. This too shall pass.

Congratulations to you and to Gio for finding each other! Your previous parrot experience may have helped, but Gio sounds well adjusted to be making such a change without too much fuss. For him to change food in his new home is a plus. For only two weeks together, he must already be building a trust with you. Way to go!

Biscotti has brought joy to our lives. It is hard to believe he is three years old already. Oh, the delight of his special favorite veggies and a peanut butter chaser! You're are a good momma.

You are both so cute together. This is such a happy time for you and Smoky. I love the hatch certificate they gave you, I have never seen one before. I hope you have decades of the happiness you feel today multiplied by a hundred!

We had a slight setback with the tail feathers. I was trying to spray his little backside with aloe and he jumped right out of his cage. He landed on a mat with a blanket on it but he still bumped one of the blood feathers and had a small amount of bleeding. It didn't last long, thank goodness. I am not going to be able to spray him for now, he just can't seem to handle it and calm himself back down afterward. So, today I saw him trying to stand in his water dish. When I bought his cage, it was oversized and the food dishes were huge. So, I got one of those dishes and filled it up with water and put it in his cage. I have tried various dishes and tactics to get him to bathe, but until today that has not been successful. Well, he is in there now making a big splash. I am so excited for him. He has made a huge mess of my living room, the walls, the cat, the dogs, LOL. He is hooting and calling out and Java is hooting and whistling back at him. So much excitement. Gilbert is taking his own bath! This is a first and I am enjoying his exuberance. Awesome.

One of Java's favorite places to hang out is the top of the refrigerator. When I am getting breakfast for the furry and feathered family, she will ask me what I am doing. A while ago, I told her what I was doing and asked her what she was doing. She said "I'm working". Another time her response was "I'm busy". Maybe it is because she is so selective about talking that when she says something, I am so delighted that I laugh, but whenever she does talk, she will laugh at herself. She really is a gleeful little thing. She also loves to play tricks and get into mischief. Once she took the empty water bottle the dog was playing with. The sofa is along a walkthrough path through our living room. I didn't notice that she took the bottle behind the sofa and when I got up to leave the room, I stepped on it and it scared the beejeebers out of me. She mocked my yell and then laughed and laughed as if she had intentionally put it there. Another time, we were in the den and she picked up a shotglass from the display shelf. She attempted to fly with it and it weighed as much as she does. She got far enough though to drop it right on my head and then she laughed and went so far as to say whoo hoo hoo. She is very energetic and gets into things so if she is out, she has to have constant supervision. One evening in the den my husband and daughters were with her when the all noticed at once she had been quiet for a long time. There was a jar of peanut butter that they left open when they fed the dog her evening treat in the kong. Java had climbed completely inside the jar and was covered with peanut butter. She was very possessive of that peanutbutter mother lode and they had a devil of a time getting her out of the big jar.

Happy happy hatchday to Rocky. Is it hard to imagine him as a tiny helpless little hatchling when you look at where he is today? I bet he enjoyed his place in the sun with all the birthday attention and special treats. I am with the rest of the crew wishing him many many more anniverary dates with you.

I like the third picture in the series. Xandir is just going about his business and calmly preening and Goose is leaning in for a good look. My two never get this close together, glad to see yours are willing to at least give it a try.

Cocoa is a lovely little lady. I have read that the long haired dachshunds were mixed with spaniel and they are the most affectionate and have a quiet spirit. Our little guy Baxter is from the same litter as Mick, but his hair is softer and he is definitely the most quiet and cuddly. Mick has a little more of the wiry hair and he is a little rascal. He is a man's man, he wants to play ball and be an active, typical boy. He tears things up and is the watch dog of the household. It will be interesting to see how she settles in. I just love having two because they keep each other company and balance out the behavior of the other.

Gilbert is a rehomed TAG somewhere between 8 and 10 years old. He grumbles and makes the garbled sounds, he also says a few really sweet phrases. He has been with us a year and is just beginning to get comfortable. He has picked up new words from us and stopped saying some of the other things we haven't reinforced, so I don't think Jamie is too old or set in her ways to talk. She might just need the incentive and to learn to trust you first. Greys are very individual in their decisions and some don't talk, but she may just blossom with the attention you give her. Even if she doesn't say words, she will communicate effectively with you in a lot of ways though. Give her time, let her get used to you slowly and gradually, sixteen years is a long time for her to have waited for you to come along and be her companion. Congratulations on bringing her home. Good luck and God bless.

What a great welcome home for Alex and Joe! Congratulations on a smooth transfer. That is better than most. I read once that if you get parrots from the same continent they are more likely to get along. Our red bellied parrot is related to your senegal and she is not at all impressed with our TAG. At least she quit dive bombing him and pestering him, so they are coexisting without becoming friends. They do talk back and forth though. Can you believe you doubled your flock and it went so well for you? That is just awesome.

Oh Dave. I am a good stepford wife. I even read the book "The Surrendered Wife" and work on those prinicples. I have learned to say "I surrender" and trust that he lives to make me happy. Hahahahaaa... I am happy.

Java uses her words sparingly. A few years back, our aging Siamese cat was having issues with spinal neuropathy and it would prevent her from walking intermittently. Java was relentless about chasing her. I would go to bring Java up off the floor to protect KittKatt and Java would do her bull rush trying to scare me off. I would tap the floor with my finger and command for her to "come here". The day after KittKatt passed, my daughter Rachel went upstairs to her room. Java went to the bottom step, on the floor and she tapped the floor with her beak and commanded "Rachel, come here. Come here!" It was one of those shocking moments. Her words were clear and her meaning was clear as well, and she had the right name for the right person. Again, she has never repeated those words. She has picked up a few words from Gilbert. He calls her pretty girl and she does her best to repeat it in the same tone and deep voice he uses. Last week my husband and I were in the living room early in the morning pecking away on our respective laptops when we heard her repeat another word of Gilbert's. She said sh*t, just the way he was doing a few weeks ago. We looked at each other, pretended not to notice and she laughed. She has a plethora of laughs, chuckles, giggles and so forth. She is a jokester and she knows it.

She is incredibly beautiful. We have a matched pair of mini dachshund brothers. Baxter is the brindle, Mick is the black and tan. Where he is tan, it is the same brindle as his brother. The mother looked a lot like your new girl except she was a blonde. They are about the best little dogs we could imagine. Congrats on your little beauty.

How thoughtful is Xandir to wait for you to be the witness of his first flight? That is just awesome and the beginning of your many "firsts" together. What a great beginning for the two of you.

I would suggest that you keep trying where the food is concerned. With him being so new to you he is cautious. If you always have pellets in his dish, he may eat when you are not so close to him. Cooked and mashed sweet potato seems to be a favorite. He may need to get to know you better to take food from your hands but if you put things in his dish and give him time to explore, he might give you a clue to his heart. Our older parrot spent a year flinging pine nuts right back at me, but now he loves them. It just took him some time to trust the things I was handing him. You will build his trust a little at a time and keep trying the veggies and food items just a tiny bit at a time and as Nancy says, consistently.

I didn't know if I had the strength to read about a lost grey, but I couldn't resist being here when a forum friend is in need of a kind word. What a relief that you found Noodle so quickly. For him, for you and for us, just a total wash of relief has come over me. Thanks for sharing, if not for these moments of fear and relief, we wouldn't reach those moments of unbridled joy that was yours when you reunited. Gilbert can't fly because of damaged wings, but every day I treat him as if he can fly with great skill and who knows, there may come a day when he surprises us.

Parrots pick up on excitement and your tone of voice. If you talk to her and make a song or exaggerated use of whatever new name you are considering, maybe she will join in on the fun. Give her some time to settle in, she is probably still taking in all the changes and wondering what kind of alien you are and what she is going to name you. LOL. Have fun with your little one, your companionship is just beginning.